The Rancher Who Took Her In (The Bachelors of Blackwater Lake)

by Teresa Southwick

  Kate was relieved that he’d referenced her first day in town and not recognition for her accomplishments in the sporting world and her outdoor endorsements. “That depends on what you heard. If it was good, then I’m the one.”

  The older man laughed. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Kate had a problem with her truck,” Cabot explained. “It died on the road from the ranch into town.”

  “Sorry to hear that,” Tom said. “We’ll get it towed in and have a look. See what we can do.”

  “I’d appreciate that. It’s pretty old but has a lot of sentimental value.” At least that was her guess. Why else would her brother hang on to it? He could easily afford a new truck to have around for the convenience of transporting stuff that wouldn’t fit into his expensive sports car.

  “If anyone can get it going, Syd can. That’s my daughter,” the older man explained.

  The door behind him had opened and a young woman came out just in time to hear what he’d said. She had a bottle of water in her hand. “What can I do?”

  This stunning woman was Sydney McKnight, girl mechanic? Kate had stereotyped her until this very second. She’d expected a bigger woman, someone less delicate. For several moments, she stared and sincerely hoped that her mouth hadn’t dropped open.

  “I was just saying you can fix pretty much any car—old, new and in-between.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” She took a sip from her water. “Hey, Cabot. Haven’t seen you for ages. How’s Ty?”

  “Great. No offense, Syd, but I’m glad I haven’t seen you on a professional call.”

  Kate literally felt the tension drain from her body. If they hadn’t seen each other for ages, that meant this beautiful woman wasn’t dating him. They acted more like brother and sister. Either that or the two of them were very good liars, but she didn’t believe that was the case.

  “Who’s this?” Sydney asked, looking at her.

  Kate had a feeling she already knew. Still, she stuck out her hand. “Kate Scott, the infamous runaway bride.”

  “Nice to meet you.” The other woman grinned and squeezed her fingers.

  She was wearing a light blue shirt with the business logo and her name embroidered on it tucked into the waistband of navy work pants. Steel-toed boots completed the ensemble. Sydney made it look almost chic. She was petite and curvy with dark hair pulled into a ponytail. Wisps and curls had escaped to charmingly frame her delicate face and make her big brown eyes look even bigger. They were snapping with intelligence and curiosity.

  “Nice to see you, Syd.” Cabot started toward the office. “If it’s all right with you, Tom, I’d like to get the paperwork going on Kate’s truck.”

  “We’ll get it taken care of,” the older man said to her.

  “Thanks.” She started to follow him into the office.

  “Got this covered,” Cabot told her.

  “But it’s my responsibility to take care of it.”

  “Stay here and talk to Syd.”

  “I’d like that. After I make arrangements for the truck. Cabot?”

  The men had disappeared inside. Her words had not slowed them down.

  “You just got the equivalent of don’t-worry-your-pretty-little-head.” Sydney was amused.

  “I noticed. You know, sometimes it’s annoying,” Kate observed. “But with cars and bugs and a few other things, not so much. Men can be handy to have around.”

  “I know what you mean.” Sydney sized her up. “So, was it those other things or the annoying part that made you run out on the wedding?”

  “I guess there’s no point in expecting that the runaway-bride label will ever be forgotten here in Blackwater Lake?”

  “Not likely. I’m pretty sure the story will take on legend status in the annals of Blackwater Lake folklore.” Sydney’s gaze was penetrating. “Why did you run?”

  “He was a cheating weasel. I walked in on him kissing one of my bridesmaids at the church on the day of.”

  Anger mixed with understanding in the other woman’s eyes and turned them a darker shade of brown. “Why do the backstabbing bastards steal from our pool of friends? Why can’t they just go swimming with a perfect stranger?”

  “Is that a rhetorical question?”

  Syd looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded solemnly. “Yes.”

  “It happened to you, too, didn’t it?”

  The other woman shrugged. “Even Blackwater Lake has its share of jerks.”

  An understanding expression in Sydney McKnight’s eyes convinced Kate she’d been through a similar experience.

  “Whoever he is, I hope he rots in hell,” Kate said vehemently.

  “If only.” Her mouth pulled tight for a moment before letting go of the bad memory. “Have you met many people in town yet?”

  “No. I’ve been busy.” And reverting to the learned childhood behavior of not getting close to anyone because I won’t be staying.

  Sydney tapped her lip, studying her. “You look really familiar. Have you ever been to Blackwater Lake before?”

  Kate shook her head. It could be that the other woman had seen her in a magazine or TV ad. She was, after all, the face of a well-known outdoor-equipment company. But if the cat wasn’t out of the bag yet, she would like to keep it there for a little while longer. Not being recognized was a lovely change.

  “I guess I just have one of those faces. Or, as they say, everyone has a twin.” Kate shrugged.

  “Maybe,” Sydney said without much conviction. “The thing is, I’d like to get to know you better. We should have a girls’ night out.”

  “Sounds good.” And she meant that. It wasn’t often you met someone and clicked, but she felt that with this woman. “The counselors at the summer camp rotate an evening off during the week.”

  “Dad and I do that, too. And since he started dating someone, I can’t just ask him to cover for me.”

  “You think he’d mind, just one night?”

  “No. He just doesn’t know I know that he’s got a woman. First one since my mom died.”

  Because she’d brought it up, Kate felt she could ask. “Cabot said you never knew your mother.”

  “That’s right. She died giving birth to me.” The emotion in her voice was no more than if she’d just said the sun was hot.

  “It’s all right, Kate. I never knew her. It’s hard to mourn someone you didn’t have a relationship with. Plus, it was a long time ago.”

  “Sorry.” Kate hadn’t been aware that her thoughts showed so clearly on her face. Then it sank in that Syd was in her mid to late twenties and the picture came together. “You mean your dad hasn’t gone out with a woman in all these years?”

  “If he did, no one knew. And he’s not covert-operations material, although he really believes he’s covered his tracks this time and no one is the wiser.” She grinned a little wickedly. “I’m curious about how long he can keep up the charade. When it’s out, I can tell him how much I just want him to be happy.”

  “That’s hilarious and sweet in equal parts.” Kate grinned at her. “Men think they’re so cool about this stuff.”

  “Or hot.” Sydney’s eyes narrowed. “So we’re clear, now I’m talking about the way that handsome rancher looks at you.”

  “Cabot?” She could see him through the window at the service desk inside. “Either you’re imagining that or it’s because he’s irritated with me.”

  “Anger and affection are flip sides of the same coin and touch somewhere in the middle.”

  “Did you get that out of a fortune cookie?” Kate teased.

  “No. I think I heard it somewhere.” Sydney grinned. “But, seriously, the sort of looks he was giving you could burn up the sheets.”

  Kate made light of the comments, but that didn’t stop her from wond
ering. Since he’d apologized for kissing her, his vow not to do it again had been in jeopardy only that one time in the barn, when Ty had schemed to get the two of them alone. But that didn’t stop her from hoping.

  She really wanted another opportunity to see if she was simply inventing the passion she’d felt in his kiss or if there was a real possibility of getting swept away.

  * * *

  “I really like Sydney McKnight.” Kate hauled herself into the passenger seat of Cabot’s truck, then slammed the door shut.

  “She’s good people.” He put the key in the ignition and, unlike her vehicle, it roared to life.

  The two of them had made arrangements for McKnight’s Auto Repair to tow her truck from the side of the road to their shop. After they looked it over to diagnose the problem, she’d get a call about the estimate for repairs. Hopefully Angelica was fixable and parts for the old girl were available. Then she thought about how Cabot had described Sydney.

  She’s good people.

  Kate had been curious about the female mechanic before meeting her and was even more interested now. How had he meant that? Sydney was a very pretty young woman, and if a guy liked cars, she would be a hot ticket. She would be even if a guy didn’t like cars. Although Kate figured her boss as more of a horse guy, her female radar was shooting out signals like crazy. Signals that felt suspiciously like jealousy even though the two of them seemed nothing more than friends.

  “How well do you know her?” Kate asked.

  “I don’t know.” He checked traffic on Main Street, then pulled out of the lot and stopped at the signal. “She was born and raised here. So was I.”

  That was the opposite of helpful when what she wanted was details. Was there ever anything romantic between them? Like had they ever gone out? But she couldn’t ask that.

  And yet the words came out of her mouth. “So, did you two ever go out?”

  The light changed and he accelerated. “No.”

  “Why not?” She wasn’t going to let him out of answering that easily.

  “I was friends with her brothers.”

  “Which would make her like a little sister.”

  “Yes.”

  He was going to have to stop being so stingy with details so she could find out what she wanted to know more quickly and efficiently. “Do you think she’s pretty?”

  “I’ve never given it much thought.” He turned right into the grocery-store parking lot and found a space.

  After sliding out of the truck, Kate fell into step beside him. “So, think about it now.”

  “Why?” He scowled at her. “You’re like a dog with a favorite bone.”

  “I’m curious about your type.”

  “Given my lousy track record with women,” he said grimly, “if I had a type and decided to be involved with someone, I’d look for the exact opposite.”

  “So you would ignore a woman you’re attracted to and gravitate toward one you don’t like?”

  “Always a good rule.”

  Hmm. He was systematically and thoroughly ignoring her, so apparently that was a compliment.

  He grabbed a grocery cart and rolled it past the glass doors that automatically opened for them. “You got that list Caroline gave you?”

  “Yes. It’s a little damp, but I think I can still read what she wrote.”

  They moved quickly through the store, grabbing pancake mix, syrup, cereal and a few other things. Fortunately the place stocked the large industrial sizes, but that was probably because ranches were in the area and the owners liked to buy in bulk. To stock up for emergencies, she’d been told, like getting snowed in.

  At checkout the clerk scanned everything and gave Cabot a total, which he put on a credit card. When the items were bagged and in the cart, he wheeled it out to the truck, then put the bags in the rear seat while she got in the front. He stowed the cart so it wouldn’t roll into another car, then slid into the driver’s seat. After starting the engine, he looked over his shoulder to check for other vehicles. When the coast was clear, he backed out and headed for the exit.

  “So, about Sydney—”

  “You better be talking about Australia.” His face wasn’t visible because he was looking away to make sure there was a break in traffic, but his voice was full of irritation. “What’s with you, anyway?”

  “I’m curious. Sue me.” She was enjoying this more than she should be. “She’s an above-average-looking woman and you’re not hard on the eyes. Just saying...”

  “Just stop saying.” He glared at her. “Syd is way too smart to hook up with me. Besides, she’s had her own romantic disaster—”

  “What happened to her?”

  “No, you don’t. I’m not getting sucked into gossip. Not spreading it.”

  “But where’s the harm? I’m leaving at the end of summer.”

  “Doesn’t matter. In the spirit of discretion and setting a good example, my answer is that if you want to know what happened to Sydney, you’ll have to ask her.”

  “All right,” she said. “I’ll do that. We’re going to get together soon. So there.”

  “Okay, then.”

  Kate was surprised when after driving a short way down Main he pulled into a parking space in front of Blackwater Lake Sporting Goods Warehouse. “Why are you stopping here?”

  “I need a couple things. Might as well get them while we’re in town.” He looked at her. “You in a hurry to get back?”

  “Caroline might need me.”

  “She’ll call if she does.” He ended the conversation by getting out of the truck.

  “Okay, then.” She followed him inside.

  A friendly-looking middle-aged man stood at the cash register just inside the door. He glanced up from something he was reading when they walked in and smiled. “Hey, Cabot. Haven’t seen you in a while.”

  “Nolan.” He shook the other man’s hand. “Been pretty busy.”

  “How’s Ty?”

  “Great. Getting big.” He must have sensed her waiting for an introduction. “Nolan Daly, this is Kate Scott.”

  “You look familiar,” he said, trying to place her.

  “I guess I just have one of those faces.” She shrugged, then changed the subject. “You’re Caroline’s husband. I really like working with her at the camp. It’s very nice to meet you.”

  “Caro told me about you. How do you like it here in Blackwater Lake?” Like his wife, he used reading glasses and perched them on the end of his nose.

  He didn’t say anything about her being a runaway bride. Maybe it was possible to live that down. “It’s a really nice place. I love the lake and mountains. I can truthfully say that I’ve never seen anywhere prettier.”

  “You traveled much?”

  “Actually—” she met Cabot’s gaze “—I have. All over the world. I’m an army brat, after all.”

  “You like what you’re doing at the summer camp?”

  She knew the store owner was really asking what she did for a living before running out on her wedding. Fortunately the phone rang and she didn’t have to give him an answer.

  Cabot looked at her. “I’ll go grab what I need.”

  “Do you mind if I look around?”

  “Suit yourself. Meet you back here in fifteen minutes.”

  She nodded and they parted ways. Kate headed to the women’s outdoor-clothing section. She browsed through fleece jackets and knit shirts displayed on racks. One of the brands was a company she’d done some modeling for, lending the name of an Olympic medalist to their product.

  “Cute,” she said to herself, holding up a pink, long-sleeved V-neck shirt.

  Next she looked through a rack of knit hats. If she were staying in Blackwater Lake for winter, she would need one, but not for California, unless
she went skiing in the mountains.

  They had a good selection of running and hiking shoes and boots. Warm socks were on display nearby. She didn’t realize how much time had passed until she glanced at her watch.

  “Uh-oh.” She hurried back to the front, where Cabot was flipping through one of the outdoor magazines displayed in a wire rack by the cash register. All she could see was his profile, but as she moved closer, it looked as if his jaw was clenched.

  He must have heard her approach and looked up. “See anything?”

  “Why?” She thought there was something weird in his tone.

  “I sure did.” He held up the magazine. On the cover was a picture of her in a bikini, holding a fishing rod. “You’re not who I thought you were.”

  Chapter Nine

  Cabot watched Kate’s eyes narrow and knew some sassy words were coming his way. Oddly, he was looking forward to it.

  “I told you I wasn’t who you thought, but you insisted on believing what you wanted. I never lied to you about needing a break to get my life together.”

  “You also never gave me any details about the life you needed a break from.”

  Looking away for a moment, she pressed her lips together. “I had my reasons.”

  “It’s about time you share them.” He could almost feel Nolan behind them watching this unfold, listening to every word.

  “Okay. The short version is that I’ve won several Olympic medals for skeet shooting. That led to product-endorsement contracts. In certain outdoor-enthusiast circles, I’m somewhat well-known.”

  “I knew you looked familiar.” Both of them turned toward Nolan Daly, who was looking a little starstruck.

  “You know her?” Cabot asked.

  “Yes. Katrina Scott. Can’t believe I didn’t put the name and face together when we were introduced. Except the Kate part threw me off and maybe that picture of you on the magazine cover was a distraction.”

  Cabot knew what he meant. The photo of her in a bikini revealed curves that he’d only felt through her clothes. That was temptation enough, but putting that memory with the visual might be his undoing. “How do you know her?”